Spain vs England: Five key battles that may decide UEFA Euro 2024 final

Certain key player battles could possibly decide the fate of the Euro 2024 finals.

After a whopping 50 matches in the competition, where over 24 best nations in Europe faced off against each other in group stages and knockout fixtures, it all boils down to this – one ultimate clash on Sunday in Berlin that will decide the fate of this tournament and who will be crowned the new Champions of Europe.

Two of the best footballing nations in the world, with such a vast history, heritage, and legacy, will lock horns against each other in the quest to become the Euro 2024 Champions. Spain, who are arguably the best team in the competition, will face a formidable opponent in the form of England, who after conceding first in all their three previous knockout fixtures, went on to script a magical comeback.

Both these teams feature some of the finest footballing talents of this current generation, who have propelled their sides into the finals of Euro 2024. A lot of key player battles are expected to happen in Berlin when two star-studded rosters lock horns against each other in the continent’s ultimate game. In this feature, we take a look at some of the key player battles that could possibly decide the fate of the match.

5. Lamine Yamal vs Luke Shaw

The 16-year-old Spanish poster boy shook the internet with his extraordinary goal against France in the semi-finals – a goal that will be remembered for ages in Spanish football. Having recently broken Pele’s record of being the youngest goalscorer at the Euros or World Cup, Yamal will need to get the better of his positional opponent, Luke Shaw.

Whether Kieran Trippier will be chosen over Shaw, there is still a lot of ambiguity in this. Assuming Shaw gets the nod from Southgate, he will play a key role in England’s hope to end their 58-year-old major trophy drought on Sunday. Shaw, who gave an early lead to the Three Lions in the finals of Euro 2020, will look forward to turning his silver medal to gold in Berlin.

Also read: Euro 2024: Everything you need to know about Spain vs England final

4. Marc Cucurella vs Bukayo Saka

Euro 2024 seems to have brought a lot of happiness into the lives of both Bukayo Saka and Marc Cucurella. Saka, who is infamously remembered for his penalty miss against Italy in the finals of 2020, redeemed himself after he not only scored the equaliser against Switzerland but also went on to score in the penalty shootout to propel England into the semi-finals.

Cucurella, who has faced a tough time adapting to Stamford Bridge after moving from Brighton, has played a crucial role in keeping some of the best wingers in Europe at bay. This is set to be an entertaining and fascinating battle as Saka would be determined to win the first Euro for England, while Cucurella will be keen to make La Roja the most successful team in this competition’s history.

Also read: Spain vs England combined XI | Euro 2024 final

3. Unai Simon vs Jordan Pickford

The English side boasts of having some of the best attacking options in the competition so far with the likes of Saka, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Ivan Toney, and last match’s golden boy, Ollie Watkins. Meanwhile, La Roja have scored the highest number of goals in the tournament so far after netting 13 goals in six matches.

Given the attacking threats from both sides, Unai Simon and Jordan Pickford are expected to play crucial roles in the final match, as there are high possibility that the winners of Euro 2024 could be decided by penalty shootouts. If it happens, the custodians will be the deciding factor. Simon has not faced a penalty shootout yet, whereas Pickford’s water bottle pic has taken the internet by storm after the English custodian’s saves helped them progress into the semi-finals.

Also read: Spain vs England Predicted lineup, betting tips, odds, injury news, H2H, telecast | UEFA Euro 2024 final

2. Nico Williams vs Kyle Walker

Nico Williams has been a standout performer for La Roja in this Euro, as his pace on the left wing has created havoc among defenders of opposition teams. The Athletic Bilbao player will face a formidable positional opponent in the form of Manchester City captain, Kyle Walker.

Walker, who has been a no-nonsense defender for the English side, will have to neutralise the threat of Williams, who can be lethal with the ball. The Spanish winger, who is under the radar of many European giants, will have to prove his mettle when he faces the English full back in the finals in Berlin.

1. Rodri vs Jude Bellingham

This key battle could possibly decide the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or awards as Rodri and Jude Bellingham are arguably two of the best midfielders of this generation. For England, if there was no Jude Bellingham, the Three Lions would have possibly been knocked out by Slovakia in the round of 16 fixture. Bellingham has scored two goals for England so far and has a high passing accuracy of 87.84%.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri, apart from the semi-final loss against Bellingham’s side Real Madrid, has not lost a single match in his last 79 games for both his club and country. He has played an integral part in Spanish dominance in the middle of the park, and with the quality English players like Bellingham and Foden bring, Rodri will be an important asset for Luis de la Fuente’s side whose performance could possibly decide if La Roja clinches their fourth Euro or not.

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